Lower Scotch tariffs in China

As the market matures, especially among the middle classes, demand continues to grow and the government wants to encourage consumption in China rather than travel to discover new products.

‘China is trying to encourage more foreign companies to sell locally and wants to give consumers more choice,’ Matthew Crabbe, director of Asia-Pacific research for Mintel International Group, told Bloomberg. ‘What it will do is help foreign products already within the market get more competitive.’

For example, customs duty on vermouths and some similar products has been reduced from 65 per cent to 14 per cent, while for all whiskies it has been halved (from 10 per cent to 5 per cent).